Steam-spraying and steam-heated member for garment-pressing machinery



' 9, 5 ETE EE P. E. GELDHOF STEAM sPRAYING AND STEAM HEATED MEMBER FOR GARMENT PRESSING MACHINERY Filed Nov. 28, 1921 Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

f UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- lVIENTS, TO UNITED STATES HOFFMAN MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

STEAM-SPRAYING AND STEAM-HEATED MEMBER FOR GARMENT-PRESSING MACHINERY.

Application filed November 28, 1921. Serial N 0. 518,407.

ments in the construction of the pressing members or parts of the machine which apply steam and pressure to the garment. 16 More particularly it relates to improved steam spraying and steam heated pressing members for garment pressing machinery.

It is a primary object of this invention to improve the structure of the head and buck of garment pressing machines to the end that this part shall be relatively small in structure, light in weight, simple to manufacture, and capable of ejecting or spraying steam which has a relatively small moisture content. And an additional object is to produce a pressing member adaptedto contain a quantity of steam for heating the working face of the member and for steam first used to heat the member and thereafter to steam spray the garment.

In order to disclose the principles of my invention and show the same in one practhough there is shown a preferred form of construction, I claim a right of protection as to all such changes'as may come within the'scope of my invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a front view of a pressing member carried by thev press lever of a steam garment press; and the frame of the machine and other. features not relating to this particular invention are broken away; and the lower pressing member, the buck, is not shown. Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the pressing member as developed along the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 sh0ws a longitudinal sectional view of one end of the head. i

,A pressing member, such as. a head, buck, or work support, for use on steam garment pressing machines, built in accordance withspraying the garment, the said steam beingtical form, I attach hereto a drawing, and

the plans of this invention, comprises a member, usually a cast body, having a rela tively flat imperforate pressing face, or curved if desired, with an arched wall formed over the pressing face to form a hollow heating chamberwvhich contains steam to heat the pressing face and steam to treat the garment. Within this heating chamber there is provided a spray chamber having a foraminous face, and this spray chamber does not contain steam except during the interval when the garment is receiving steam treatment. The steam in the heating chamber serves to maintain the walls of the spray chamber passage at a high temperature, and to keep the spray chamber as hot as the heating chamber in order that condensation will not take place when steam is flowing thru the spray chamber upon the garment.

For the purpose of describing this invention, there is .shown a pressing head, or the upper pressing member of a steam garment pressing machine; but it of course is understood that a buck, or the lowerpressing member, or the work support, may similarly be constructed in accordance with the plans of this invention. The pressing head comprises a pressing surface wall 5, which wall may either be flat or curved dependent upon the particular style and design of pressing to be. executed. A heating chamber H is formed by the wall 6; and the wall 6 has a boss 7 to receive a steam spraying Valve as later described. The walls 5 and 6 of the pressing head may be constructed or cast integral if desired; or in some cases it is found more practical to construct the head in two parts, and thereafter join the parts 5 and 6 together by screws or other suitable means. A steam supply pipe 8 connects with the heating chamber H to supply steam to the head, and another pipe, not shown, may "be similarly employed to providean outlet for the steam in order that a steam circulation is produced in the head.

'Adrain i 'e not shown herein is usuall employed to carry away water .of condensation which forms in the head. These parts are not necessarily/shown here inasmuch as they constitute known ture in the art A steam spray passage .or chamber S is principles and strucmade on or in the pressing surface wall by providing a wall 10 which is joined to the back surface of the Wall 5 so as to form a space S which is preferably disposed centrally of and extends longitudinally substantially from end to end of the pressing member; and this passage ismade relatively small in volume and size. Perforations 11 are made through the pressing wall 5 and connect with the steam spray passage S. This construction leaves imperforate the larger portion of the, surface area of the pressing face 5; and produces a foraminous pressing surface along the central portion of the press head. a

A press cloth 12 is secured over the work-' ing surface of the pressing wall 5 so as to thoroughly distribute the steam to the garment being pressed, and so as to prevent the metal face of the head from contac'ting the garment. The press cloth 12 is secured to the head by any appropriate means and tightly stretched across the pressing surface. Once the cloth has been used, it becomes soft and pliable so that it flexes outwardly from the wall 5 under the pressure of steam so as to allow the steam to freely traverse the entire length and breadth of the pressing surface; and quantity behind the press cloth as to thoroughly impregnate the parts of the garment being pressed when the head goes forcibly downward onto the garment. The cloth 12 is itself foraminous and steam very readily emits through the entire area of this press cloth onto the garment being treated.

, A valve casing 15 is disposed through the boss 7 and is joined with the wall 10. This valve casing is provided with a number of holes 16 so as to-admit steam from the heat ing chamber-H into the valve casing. Suitable locking and j am'nuts 17 serve to securely anchor the valve casing 15 in position and i to form a steam tight joint between this part and the boss 7 and in addition to these parts, a handle support bracket 18 pivotally carries'a valve handle 19. A valve stem 20 is confined in the valve casing 15, and the lower end of this stem rests against a Valve seatmade in. a bushing 22; A compression spring 21 is disposed between a shoulder or pin integral with the stem in the handle 19 so as to cause the valve stem to positivelyseat in the'bushing 22. The-valve assembly is usually made up in the form of a complete unit by assembling the several parts within and upon the valve casing 15; and thereafter the complete unit is mounted in the head.

A It is to be noted how the steam confined in the heating chamber H lies in contact withthe wall 10 of the spray passage S; and this-wall 10 is designed to transmit heat from the steam in contact therewith through and into the passage S so as to maintain the the steam accumulates in suflicient."

-spra y"passage in a relatively hotcondition.

The spray passage S is maintained at atem- V perature substantially equal to the temperahead is held to small limits.

In Figure 1- the head is shown as-carried by a press lever 25, which'lever pivots on a I fulcrum pin or shaft 26 fixed in brackets 27, the brackets being broken away from the frame of the machine not shown. In opera-' tion, the press lever 25 raises and lowers the head to execute the pressing operation as is understood by those conversant with the art.

When the operator working the garment press actuates'the handle 19, causing the valve 20 to lift from the bushing seat 22, steam under pressure rapidly flows from the ,valve casing 15 and through the entire length of the spray passage S and continues downwardly through the foraminated wall 5 and is then distributed over the entire area of the wall by the presscloth 12. .As the steam accumulates behind the presscloth, it

discharges through the cloth onto .the garment to sterilize the garment, raise the nap .thereof by steam expansion, and produces a general renewed appearance. Claims: 1. In an lmproved pressing element for use in garment pressing machines, the combination of a pressing element having a relatively large hollow chamber located upon and with the additional advantage that the size and t iickness of the j one face thereof; 'means for admitting a 1 heating medium into said chamber; a second chamber formed within the first chamber; the pressing member having that wall which is adjacent said smaller chamber perforated, and the upper portion of said threaded opening which is in alinement with the opening formed in the corresponding wall of-the larger chamber; a valve casing adapted to be passed through the opening in the wall of the outer chamber, the lower end of the valve casing being threaded and adapted to be screwed into the openingsmaller chamber being provided with a garment pressing machines, the combination of a metallic head; a relatively large cham- -ber formed upon one face thereof, said from the walls of the large chamber the,

outermost wall forming a continuation of the pressing face of the pressing-member, said outermost wall being perforated in line with the smaller chamber, and said smaller chamber being provided with a threaded opening standing in alinement with the' opening in the boss; a valve casing extendmg mwardly through the opening 1n the boss, the lower end of sald casing belng threaded and adapted to-be screwed into the opening formed in the upper portion of the smaller chamber; a valve seat secured in the lower end of said casing; a valve stem mounted for reciprocation in the casing, said stem extending outwardly beyond the outer end of the casing; means for normally moving the valve stem inwardly to close the entrance to said smaller chamber; and means tor moving the stem in the opposite direction, the valve casing being provided with openings -.attording communication between the interior thereof and the larger chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand and seal this 1 day of No vember, 1921, in the city, of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, State of New York.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF. [L. s.] 

